Cartridge manipulation and reference system for magnetic tape recorder

ABSTRACT

The invention pertains to developments for manipulating and referencing a magnetic tape cassette in a magnetic tape device involving loading, read/write and tape drive operation, and unloading. To load and unload the tape cassette, a tape drive bridge on which the magnetic head is mounted is disposed in a standby position out of the way of the path of movement of the tape cassette into and out of the recorder housing. A gripper disposed for longitudinal movement on a gear rack in the recorder housing, is arranged to bite the cassette to automatically carry the cassette inwardly to its fully loaded position and then again move the cassette outwardly to its unloaded position. A lever arm arrangement is provided to appropriately open the dust cover door on the tape cassette, to expose the cassette tape for operational engagement by the magnetic head, as the tape cassette approaches its fully loaded position within the recorder housing. The gear rack serves to activate this lever arm for opening the dust cover. The tape cassette is preferably loaded endwise into the recorder housing, and when the cassette has been fully loaded in the recorder housing, the tape drive bridge carrying the magnetic head is rotated in all three axes from its standby position to its running position. In its running position, the tape drive bridge locks the tape cassette to it, by gripping the cassette at three reference areas on the bridge. A manual eject mechanism utilizes an exposed button on the recorder housing which is manipulated by the operator to causing unloading of a stranded tape cassette, should the electrical system not work.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a magnetic tape recorder wherein a cassette forthe storage of data signals is endwise loaded into a rectangular housingand placed into operative association with a magnetic head which iscapable of data recording and/or playback operation. The magnetic tapecontained in the cassette is moved past the magnetic head with the useof a capstan drive energized by a tape drive motor. This inventionserves to create a stable and stiff connection between the tapecartridge and the magnetic head which is supported on a bridge. Thecartridge is moved in and out of the tape drive operative position whenthe bridge and the magnetic head have been moved out of the way of thecartridge.

Magnetic tape recorders are generally known wherein data are recorded ona magnetic tape contained in a cassette and are read therefrom. Thestandard cassette carries one-quarter inch tape wound about a pair ofreels and a capstan idler wheel in belt-drive connection with the tapereels and which is driven by a tape drive motor. The cassette contains apivotally disposed dust cover which must be opened in the recordersystem so that the magnetic head has access to the tape. An example ofsuch a magnetic tape cassette is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,976,262.

It is desirable to provide a magnetic tape drive for a recorder whichcan receive and operate the cassette endwise loaded into the recorderhousing. Previous arrangements for handling a cassette loaded endwiseinto the tape drive of a recorder are described in U.S. Pat. No.4,622,606 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,091. A critical concern in sucharrangements, however, since these arrangements must allow for relativemovement between the cassette tape and the magnetic head so that themagnetic head can operatively engage and disengage with the tape in thecassette, is that the cassette is reliably locked in place duringoperation of the magnetic head. What is disadvantageous and ultimatelyundesirable, is a system for referencing the tape cassette relative tothe magnetic head which does not hold the cassette stiffly.

It is therefore an object of the invention to present a cassettemanipulation and reference system for use with an endwise loadedcassette magnetic tape device which provides reliable endwise loadingand unloading of the cassette relative to the tape drive and yet furtherprovides for a stable and stiff connection between the cassette and thebridge on which the magnetic head is mounted such that a secure lock-inof the cassette during read/write operation is achieved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To address the critical concern with endwise loaded cassette tapedrives, this invention proposes what may be referred to as a "bridge"solution. Essentially, three reference areas for engaging and holdingthe tape cassette in the magnetic recorder tape drive are embedded inone part, the bridge, which also carries the magnetic head assembly. Thebridge is thus a stand alone or unitary element, although it has on itcomponent pieces. There are no moving parts between the cassette and thereference areas by which the cassette is locked on to the bridge.

To let the cassette in and out of the tape drive, the reference areas ofthe bridge and the magnetic head have to be moved out of the way of thecartridge. Thus, the bridge is suspended at one point in a ball joint.Around this point the bridge can rotate in all three axes, which is tosay the bridge moves along the three orthogonally spaced axes known asX, Y and Z. At two other points the bridge is suspended with pinssliding in grooves. The grooves define the pitch and roll rotation ofthe bridge as a function of the yaw rotation. To free the cassette, thebridge is rotated in the yaw axis. The magnetic head is withdrawn fromthe tape, and the bridge is lowered underneath the base plate of thecassette, such that the cassette is now free to move out of the drive inthe reverse manner in which the cassette was initially drawn into thedrive.

More particularly, the tape cassette, or cartridge, has an attached baseplate, and is endwise loaded and unloaded from tile tape drive of themagnetic tape recorder when the bridge tape drive is in its standbyposition. The reference areas of the bridge are then out of the way ofthe cassette. In this position, however, the tape drive motor isconnected to a set of gear wheels to a gear rack which creates linearmotion to load and unload the cassette. At its inward end, the gear racksupports a gripper formed with upper and lower jaws. The upper and lowerjaws are integral portions of a single stiff material piece, but thispiece is rotated on a spring when pressed against by the cassette baseplate to frictionally "bite" the base plate. When the gripper is movedinward as a result of inward linear movement of the gear rack, thegripper is pulled off a cam surface such that the jaws are free tofurther rotate on the spring. This creates additional "biting" forcebetween the gripper jaws and the cassette base plate, due to theself-locking geometry of the jaws, beyond the gripping force afforded bythe spring.

The outward end of the gear rack is formed with a cam. As the gear racktravels inward, with the gripper pulling the cassette inward with it,the gear rack cam engages against a cam follower formed at one end of apivoting arm. The other end of the pivoting arm has an abutment surface,which presses against the dust cover for the tape cassette to one sideof the dust cover hinge, such that the pivoting arm serves to open thedust cover. The dust cover is opened at the right moment in the cassetteloading cycle to be hooked up into a dust cover pocket formed in thebridge, so that the tape is exposed for access by the magnetic head.

At the end of the inward movement of the gear rack, the gripper againengages a cam surface such that the gripper jaws release from theirenhanced "bite" on the cassette base plate. The cassette is now in aposition to be engaged with the bridge which carries the magnetic headassembly. An electric motor disposed within the recorder housingoperates through a gear box to rotate a crank. The crank has a pin thatfits into a slot in the bridge. When the pin is rotatedcounterclockwise, the bridge is moved from standby position to runningposition (when ejection of the cassette is desired, the electric motorreverses rotation of the pin, putting the bridge back in standbyposition).

The bridge is disposed adjacent the front longitudinal side of thecassette (the same side of the cassette in which the dust cover ismounted). The back longitudinal side of the cassette is adjacent andessentially parallel to a side wall of the recorder housing, except thata leaf spring presses against the outward edge of the backside of thecassette when the cassette has been fully loaded in the recorderhousing. When the bridge has been brought into its running or operativeposition with the cassette, the cassette will become disposed slightlyskewed in the recorder housing such that this outward edge of thebackside of the cassette presses still further against the housing sidewall leaf spring.

The bridge is formed of a stiff material and, broadly speaking,configured in a U-shape. When the cassette has been fully loaded intothe recorder, one leg of the bridge is proximate the inward end of thecassette and the other leg is proximate the outward end of the cassette.The ball joint point of rotation of the bridge is positioned along thebase of the U, the base also carries the magnetic head assembly andcapstan drive wheels for drivingly connecting the tape drive motor(disposed behind the bridge in the recorder housing) with the tapecapstan wheel contained in the cassette. The bridge is integrally formedwith three reference areas for engaging the base plate of the cassettefrom above. One reference area is formed on the inward-end leg of thebridge, and the other two reference areas are formed on the outward-endleg of the bridge. These three reference areas on the bridge, disposedas they are on the bridge legs, serve to lock the cassette againstmovement in the Y and Z direction and also to engage the cassetteagainst hard stop surfaces, such as formed in the bridge base, in the Xdirection, so that a stable and stiff lock connection between the bridgeand the cassette is established when the bridge has reached its runningor operative position.

A strong leaf spring is fitted on the bridge beneath the inward legreference area. When the cassette has been fully loaded in the recorderhousing, this leaf spring extends through a gap in the cassette baseplate formed at the inward end of the cassette. When the bridge is instandby position, the spring is not attacking the cassette base plate;but when the bridge goes to running position, the inward leg of thebridge pulls back over the cassette base plate, whereupon this springwill force the cassette and base plate up against the reference area inthe inward leg of the bridge and towards the hard stop surfaces in thebridge base.

A further leaf spring is disposed on the recorder housing frame forunderlying the outward end of the cassette, when the cassette has beenfully loaded in the recorder. This third leaf spring is, broadlyspeaking, configured in a Y-shape, such that the free ends of the twoarms of the Y will underlie the two reference areas formed on theoutward leg of the bridge, such that these ends of the third leaf springsandwich the cassette base plate between them and the outward leg bridgereference areas when the bridge reaches its running position. The bridgeis formed with an engagement surface which activates a lifting arm, asthe bridge moves to its running position, which pushes the underlyingthird leaf spring upwards. This then causes the leaf spring arms to liftthe cassette base plate up against the outward leg reference areas onthe bridge, for a tight hold of the outward end of the cassette. At thesame time that the cassette is being engaged by the bridge going to itsrunning position, the back side of the cassette is being pushed by thebridge against the recorder housing side wall leaf spring, furthercausing the cassette to line up the front longitudinal side of thecassette against the hard stop surfaces formed in the base of thebridge.

In accordance with the invention, there is no movement between thecassette and the reference areas of the bridge upon application of theleaf spring forces, when the bridge has reached its running position. Inthe bridge running position, the magnetic head has engaged the cassettetape, where the dust cover door has been opened, and the read/writeoperation can ensue.

Also described herein is a mechanism which enables the operator, bymanipulating a button, to manually unloaded a cassette stranded in therecorder housing, should the electrical system shut down. The button isphysically connected to the system for moving the bridge from itsrunning position to its standby position and to the drive for operatingthe gear rack and gripper.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the standard elongate, rectangularmagnetic tape cassette endwise loaded into a recorder housing.

FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of the magnetic tape recorder, lookingdown onto the bottom frame of the recorder housing and depicting thetape drive bridge mechanism.

FIG. 3 is a partial plan view of the underside of the top cover of themagnetic tape recorder housing, depicting the cassette gripper and dustcover opener mechanisms.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the cassette gripper when initiallyengaged by the inward end of the cassette, having been manually loadedinto the recorder housing.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the gripper biting the inward endof the cassette, as the gripper transports the cassette for loading intothe magnetic tape recorder housing.

FIG. 6 is a partial plan view of the gripper mechanism loading thecassette into the recorder housing and the dust cover door openermechanism in operation.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines VII--VII of FIG.6.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines VIII--VIII ofFIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the gripper when the cassette hasreached its fully loaded position in the magnetic tape recorder housing.

FIG. 10 is a partial plan view of the magnetic tape recorder, depictingthe tape drive bridge in its running position with the fully loaded tapecassette.

FIG. 11 is a schematic partial plan view of the magnetic tape recorder,depicting the movement of the tape drive bridge from its standbyposition to its running position.

FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of the bridge inward leg referencearea and leaf spring engaging the base plate of the tape cassette as thetape drive bridge reaches its running position.

FIG. 13 is a schematic side elevational view, depicting the movement ofthe outward leg of the tape drive bridge from its standby position toits running position.

FIG. 14 is a schematic side elevational view, depicting the pin andslots associated with the outward leg of the tape drive bridge, forbringing about the movement of the outward leg as depicted in FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a side elevational, cross-sectional view, depictingactivation of the lifting arm by the outward leg of the tape drivebridge for bringing the Y-shaped leaf spring up into engagement with thetape cassette baseplate beneath the reference areas on the outward legof the bridge.

FIG. 16 is a top plan view of the interior of the magnetic recorderhousing showing a manual cassette eject mechanism for moving the tapedrive bridge and cassette unloader drive train.

FIG. 17 is a partial top plan view showing that portion of the manualcassette eject mechanism for moving the tape drive bridge.

FIG. 18 is a partial top plan view showing that portion of the manualcassette eject mechanism for operating the drive train of the cassetteunloader.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, the preferred embodiment of the magnetic taperecorder has a rectangular housing 1. At the opposed longitudinal endsof the recorder housing 1 are an outward side wall O and an inward sidewall I. The opposed lateral side walls of the recorder housing will beidentified as the front side wall F and the rear, or back, side wall R.The outwardly facing side wall O is formed with an insertion slot 2 forreceiving a magnetic tape cartridge or cassette 3. The cassette 3 isinserted manually into the housing opening 2 endwise in a longitudinaldirection. When the cassette 3 has been fully loaded in the recorderhousing and is engaged for read/write operation, the cassette will bedisposed as illustrated with the dash line depiction. The magnetic tapecassette is preferably of the type which meets standard specifications,such as that depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 3,976,262 or U.S. Pat. No.4,573,091.

Within the recorder housing 1 and disposed on the base frame thereof, asshown in FIG. 2, there is provided a tape drive bridge 4 made of stiffmaterial and having a generally U-shape configuration. The bridge 4 issuspended at one point in a ball joint 5, around which point the bridgecan rotate in all three axes. The ball joint 5 is situated within thebase 6 of the bridge between an inward side leg 7 and an outward sideleg 8. At two points 9 and 10 along the outward side leg 8 of thebridge, the bridge is suspended with pins sliding in grooves, thegrooves defining the pitch and roll rotation of the bridge as a functionof the yaw rotation. The bridge base 6 carries a magnetic head 11 forperforming the read/write operation on the cassette tape and anassociated magnetic head positioning assembly 12 for shifting themagnetic head read/write gap between tracks and otherwise properlydisposing the magnetic head along a tape track. Also supported on thebridge 4 is a tape capstan drive train 13 for interconnecting the spurgear of a rotary electric motor 14 (also disposed on the bridge 4) to adriven tape transport wheel contained in the tape cassette 3, when thebridge 4 is in its running position. In its standby position, theelectric motor's spur gear is drivingly connected to a wheel 35,discussed below.

As shown in FIG. 2, the tape drive bridge 4 is in its standby position,whereby reference areas and other hard stop locating areas on thebridge, as well as the magnetic head 11, are out of the way of the pathof movement of the tape cassette 3 when the cassette is loaded orunloaded in the recorder housing 1. The loading and unloading of thecassette in the recorder housing is conducted over a housing frame plateP disposed between the rear side wall R and the bridge 4.

Focusing now on the inward side leg 7 of the bridge 4, the stiffmaterial of the bridge forming this leg serves as a reference area 15,which will ultimately act to clamp down onto the baseplate along theinward side edge of the cassette 3 when the bridge 4 is moved into itsrunning position. A first leaf spring arrangement 16 is attached to thebridge beneath the leg 7 and formed with an outwardly and upwardlyextending spring arm 17 generally underlying the reference area 15. Thevertical extension of the spring arm 17 is accommodated in the recorderhousing by a opening 18 formed in the housing frame plate P. The springarm 17 of the leaf spring 16 serves to force the inward end of thecassette base plate up against the reference area 15 on the bridge.

Disposed along the rear side wall R of the recorder housing is a secondleaf spring 19. The spring 19 will apply a supporting force against therear side of the cassette 3 adjacent its outward end, when the cassettehas been fully loaded into the recorder housing and the bridge has beenmoved from its standby position as shown in FIG. 2 to its runningposition. As depicted in FIG. 1, the grasping of the spring arm 17 ofthe cassette base plate against the bridge reference area 15, when thebridge is moved into its running position, will cause a slight skewingof the cassette in the recorder housing, thus pressing the rear side ofthe cassette adjacent its outward end against the leaf spring 19.

Turning now to the outward side leg 8 of the bridge, there are formedalong this bridge leg second and third reference areas, 20 and 21,respectively, which will also act to clamp down onto the base plate ofthe cassette, along the outward end of the cassette, when the bridge ismoved into its running position. Mounted beneath the frame plate P is aleaf spring 22 having a generally Y-shape configuration. The respectivefree ends of the Y arms are provided with upwardly extending engagementknobs or surfaces 23 and 24. These engagement knobs 23 and 24 of thethird spring 22 will serve to force the base plate surfaces of thecassette up against the reference areas 20 and 21, respectively, whenthe bridge 4 is moved into its running position. The engagement knob 24of the spring 22 is thus able to protrude through an opening formed inthe frame plate P.

The apex of the Y arms on the spring 22 is formed with a lift surface25, as viewed through an opening in the frame plate P. A pivotablelifting arm device 26 will engage the lift surface 25 and serve to raisethe spring arms and their respective engagement knobs 23 and 24 upagainst the cassette base plate, when the bridge 4 is moved into itsrunning position. This activation of the lifting arm 25 is brought aboutby a drive surface formed on the leg 8 of the bridge contacting andmoving the lifting arm 26, when the bridge is moved into its runningposition. As mentioned above and further described below, the three axesmovement of the bridge 4 and the outward side leg 8 is controlled by thepins sliding in grooves at 9 and 10.

For bringing about the movement of the bridge between its standby andrunning positions, an electric motor-driven crank mechanism is utilized.Thus, extending outward from the outward leg 8 of the bridge 4 is a wingsection 27 of the bridge containing an appropriately curved groove 28which receives therein a pin 29.

Adjacent the outward end of the recorder housing 1 and proximate theoutward leg 8 of the bridge 4 is a separate rotary electric motor 30.The function of this electric motor 30 is to drive the movement of thebridge 4 between its standby and running positions. To this end, theelectric motor is connected through driven gear wheels to a crank 31.The crank 31 is fitted at its outer free end with the pin 29 that fitsinto the slot 28 formed in the bridge. When the pin 29 is rotatedcounterclockwise, as viewed in FIG. 2, approximately 180°, the bridge 4is rotated from its standby position to its running position. Rotatingthe pin 29 the other way, via the electric motor 30, puts the bridgeback in standby position.

FIG. 3 depicts the mechanical system by which the tape cassette 3 isloaded and unloaded in the recorder housing 1 and which also serves toopen the hinged dust cover on the front side of the cassette to exposethe tape therein for operative engagement by the magnetic head 11 whenthe bridge 4 is disposed in its running position. The mechanicalarrangement shown in FIG. 3 is situated on the underside of the topcover of the recorder housing so as to overlie the cassette 3 in therecorder housing.

For automated longitudinal movement of the cassette 3 into and out ofthe recorder housing, when the bridge 4 is in its standby position, thetape drive motor 14 is activated, in the appropriate direction, tooperate drive train wheels 13 disposed on the bridge 4 a cassettetransport drive wheel 35, supported for rotation adjacent the front sideedge of the recorder housing. The drive wheel 35, of course, looses itsdriving connection with the gear train wheels 13 disposed on the bridge4 when the bridge is rotated from its standby to running position. Thedrive wheel 35 acts through a series of reduction gears to operate atoothed rack 36, disposed for longitudinal back and forth movementwithin the recorder housing. At the inward end of the rack 36, there isfitted a pivotable gripper 37 which extends downwardly from the rack fordisposition facing the inward end of the cassette 3 being handled by therecorder housing. The downward vertical extension of the gripper 37 isaccommodated by a longitudinally extending opening 38 (see FIG. 2)formed in the frame plate P. As shown in FIG. 3, the rack 36 is disposedin its fully outward extended position, with the gripper 37 awaiting theinsertion of a cassette 3 partway into the recorder housing 1 so thatthe gripper 37 can then grasp the inward side edge of the cassette andpull the cassette further inward to the fully loaded position in therecorder housing upon movement of the rack 36 in the inward, loadingdirection.

With reference to FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, the gripper 37 has a main body 39which is that portion of the gripper extending downward into therecorder housing for handling transport of the cassette 3 duringautomatic loading and unloading of the cassette. The body 39 has upperand lower jaws 40 and 41, respectively, defining therebetween a mouth 42in which the inwardly facing extension of the cassette base plate isreceived. The upper end of the body 39 is supported on a hinge pin 43which extends laterally across the rack 36 at the inward facing end ofthe rack. Extending laterally to one side of the gripper main body 39 isan integrally formed cam follower surface 44, the movement of which thuscauses the gripper main body 39 to rotate about the hinge pin 43. Fixedto the rack is a support bracket 45 on which a leaf spring 46 is mountedand which is connected to the main body 39 of the gripper to provide abiasing force on the gripper body about the hinge pin 43, such that thegripper body 39 will rotate in the counterclockwise direction about thehinge pin, as viewed in FIGS. 4 and 5. Cam surfaces 47 and 48,respectively, are formed on the gear rack track at opposed ends of thetravel path of the gripper 37. When the gripper 37 has reached itsoutward most position in the recorder housing, the cam follower surface44 of the gripper rides over the cam 47, causing the gripper body 39 torotate clockwise about the hinge pin 43 against the bias of the spring46. In this position, as shown in FIG. 4, the gripper body 39 isrelatively straightened in the recorder housing, such that the gripperjaws 40 and 41 loosely receive the cassette base plate in the mouth 42.Thus is the position of the gripper 37 when the cassette 3 is manuallyloaded into the recorder housing, as shown in FIG. 4. Further loading ofthe cassette in the recorder housing is conducted automatically viamovement of the gear rack 36 which carries the gripper 37. As shown inFIG. 5, as the gripper 37 is transported away from its outward-mostposition toward its inward-most position in the recorder housing, thecam follower surface 44 pulls away from the cam surface 47 and the leafspring 46 is free to bias the gripper body 39 into a biting action withthe jaws 40 and 41 on the cassette baseplate. This biting action of thejaws 40 and 41 is self-locking and produces a frictional force, due tothe geometry of the jaws, on the cassette baseplate which enables thegripper to carry the cassette as the gripper moves longitudinally withinthe recorder housing.

Returning again to FIG. 3, it will be noted that the outward-most end ofthe gear rack 36 is formed with a laterally extending cam surface 50.Disposed in the line of movement of the cam surface 50 is one end of thelinkage mechanism 51 which serves to open the hinged dust cover on thecassette 3. As further shown in FIG. 10, after the hinged dust cover ofthe cassette has been partially opened by the operation of the linkagemechanism 51, further inward movement of the cassette in the recorderhousing causes the dust cover to ride up into a prescribed openingformed within the bridge 4 so that the dust cover is moved out of theway of the magnetic head engagement with the tape in the cassette.

The linkage mechanism 51 is constructed and operates as follows. Themechanism 51 is generally in the form of a lever arm 52 which pivotsabout a hinge pin 53. The arm 52 is biased in a clockwise direction, asviewed in FIG. 3, by the resilient force of a generally curved springarm 54. The clockwise rotation of the arm 52 about the hinge pin 53 islimited by a fixed stop 55 against which a wing surface 56 of the armabuts. Thus, FIG. 3 shows the linkage mechanism 51 for opening the dustcover of the cassette in its standby position. However, as a cassette isloaded into the recorder housing via inward movement of the gear rack 36and under the action of the gripper 37, the gear rack cam surface 50engages a follower surface 57 formed at one end of the arm 52, causingthe arm to rotate counterclockwise, as viewed in FIG. 3, against thebias of the spring arm 54 and lifting the wing surface 56 away from thestop 55. As shown in FIGS. 6-8, this movement of the arm 52 brings thehead 58 into engagement with the dust cover surface on the outward sideof the dust cover hinge. The pressure being applied by the head 58 ofthe linkage mechanism 51 against this portion of the dust cover surfacecauses the cassette dust cover to lift away from its protectiveenclosure of the tape access slot and face into a prescribed opening 59formed in the bridge 4. With further inward movement of the cassette toits fully loaded position within the recorder housing, the dust cover ofthe cassette opens still further, following the contours of the bridgeopening 59, such that the tape of the cassette is exposed for operativeengagement by the magnetic head 11, when the bridge 4 is brought to itsrunning position.

As described above, when the gear rack 36 has completed its full inwardlongitudinal movement to fully load the cassette within the recorderhousing, the cam follower surface 44 of the gripper 37 is past over thecam surface 48. This movement again, as illustrated in FIG. 9, causesthe gripper 37 to straighten within the recorder housing such that thejaws 40 and 41 of the gripper release their biting action on thecassette base plate. The cassette 3 is now fully loaded in the recorderhousing and in a position to be engaged and gripped into place forread/write operation by the tape drive bridge 4. It will, of course, beappreciated by those skilled in the art that automatic unloading of thetape cassette from the recorder housing follows an ejection processwhich is merely the reverse order of the parts movements thus fardescribed for loading the tape cassette in the recorder housing.

With the tape cassette thus fully loaded in the recorder housing, thetape drive bridge 4 is moved from its standby position to its runningposition in which the tape is operatively engaged by the magnetic head11. In its running position, the bridge 4 creates a stable and stifflocking connection between the cassette and the magnetic head, as shownin FIG. 10. The bridge 4 locks in the cassette at the three referenceareas 15, 20, and 21 formed on the inward side leg 7 and the outwardside leg 8, respectively. In the lateral direction, this grasping of thecassette at the bridge reference areas holds the cassette against hardstop surfaces formed on the bridge, such as may be formed at area 60, asshown in FIG. 10. The manner in which the bridge 4 came to lock togetherwith the cassette 3 at the three reference areas as the bridge movedfrom its standby position as shown in FIG. 2 to its running position asshown in FIG. 10 is further described with reference to the remainingfigures.

As discussed above, rotation of the crank arm 31 by operation of theelectric motor 30 brings about a rotational movement of the bridge 4 onits ball joint 5. Thus, as illustrated schematically in FIG. 11, thebridge 4 moves from its standby position, as shown in dot and dashlines, to its running position, shown in solid lines, to lockingly graspthe fully loaded cassette in the recorder housing. This rotationalmovement of the bridge 4 causes the bridge to rotate around the point 5in all three axes guided by the pin and groove connections 9 and 10,further described below.

As shown in FIG. 11, rotation of the bridge 4 from its standby positionto its running position causes the inward side leg 7 of the bridge topull toward the front housing side wall F and slightly upward. Thismovement of the leg 7 as the bridge 4 rotates to its running positionthus causes the arm 17 of the leaf spring 16 to move across a gap formedin the cassette base plate and engage the base plate from underneath,forcing this inward side edge of the cassette base plate up against thebridge reference area 15, as shown in FIG. 12. Accordingly, the inwardside edge of the cassette 3 is clamped to the bridge 4 at the firstreference area 15 on the bridge. This locking-in action at referencearea 15 on the cassette does cause a slight skewing of the cassette offits previous longitudinal axis as it was left by the gripper 37 fullyloaded into the recorder housing. Such skewing movement of the cassette3 in the recorder housing when the bridge 4 is brought into its runningposition is accommodated by the leaf spring 19, as shown in FIG. 10,which engages the opposed rear side edge of the cassette adjacent itsoutward facing end. It will be appreciated that upon release of thecassette from its locked-in connection with the bridge 4, when thebridge returns from its running position to its standby position forunloading of the cassette from the recorder housing, that the resilientforce of the leaf spring 19 will assist in straightening the cassettewithin the recorder housing.

With respect to the movement of the bridge leg 8 toward the cassette, asthe bridge 4 moves from its standby position to its running position,this movement is again in all three axes as the bridge is rotated aboutthe ball joint 5, as schematically illustrated in FIG. 13. Thus, thesecond and third reference areas 20 and 21 on the bridge 4 move into aclamping connection with the base plate of the cassette by passing fromthe dash and dot line positions to the final running position forlocking the cassette to the bridge, as shown by the solid lineconfiguration of leg 8. This movement of leg 8 of the bridge into aclamping relationship with the cassette base plate at the second andthird reference areas 20 and 21 on the bridge is controlled by pinssliding in grooves at 9 and 10. With reference to FIGS. 2, 10, and 14,the pin and groove arrangement 9 comprises a pin member 61 which extendsintegrally and outwardly from the bridge leg adjacent the bridgereference area 21. This pin 61 tracks its movement along a groove path62 formed as a cut-away in the framework of the recorder housing. Thus,it may be seen that the reference area 21 on the bridge proceeds fromits standby position to its running position by initially travelingupward to above the lateral plane of the outwardly facing cassette baseplate, and then across and over the base plate until, as the bridgereaches its running position, the reference area 21 clamps down onto thecassette base plate in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 14. Withreference to the pin and groove arrangement 10, a pin 63 is fixed in therecorder housing framework and a groove 64 is cut in the bridge adjacentthe third bridge reference area 20 for tracking the movement of thebridge over the pin 63 as the bridge moves from its standby position toits running position. Thus, again the pin and groove arrangement 10causes the reference area 20 on the bridge to initially proceed upwardlyabove the lateral plane of the cassette base plate, and then over andacross to the base plate whereupon, when the bridge reaches its runningposition, the reference area 20 clamps down onto the cassette baseplate.

As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the reverse rotation of thebridge 4 from its running position to its standby position, such thatthe tape cassette can be unloaded from the recorder housing, is alsocontrolled by the pin and groove arrangements 9 and 10. Thus, to releasethe tape cassette 3 from its locked-in, operational connection with thetape drive bridge 4, the bridge is rotated in the yaw axis back from itsrunning position as depicted in FIG. 10 to its standby position asdepicted in FIG. 2, via the operation of the crank arm 31. The magnetichead 11 is withdrawn from the cassette tape, and the grooves 62 and 64twist the bridge leg 8 downwardly so that the second and third bridgereference areas 20 and 21 are then disposed underneath the base plate ofthe cassette and the outwardly facing end of the cassette is cleared forunloading.

As more particularly shown in FIG. 15, it will be recalled that as thetape drive bridge moves from its standby position to its runningposition, an engagement surface 65 formed on the outward bridge leg 8presses against lifting arm 26 which rocks the lifting arm upward,carrying with it the spring arms of the leaf spring 22. As a matter oftiming, it is not until the bridge rotation towards its running positionhas come to a point where the reference areas 20 and 21 are coveringover the cassette base plate surfaces that the compression of the leafspring arms at the abutment knobs 23 and 24 up against the bottom of thecassette base plate (and generally underlying the respective downwardcompression onto the base plate of the reference areas 20 and 21) willstart. As the bridge rotation continues toward the final runningposition, the lifting arm 26 acting on the underlying leaf spring 22 toultimately provide a stiff lifting force compressing the outward sidebase plate of the cassette up against the reference areas 20 and 21 ofthe outward bridge leg 8.

Thus, when the tape drive bridge 4 is brought into its running positionwith the tape cassette 3, the tape cassette is locked in place with thebridge at the three reference areas formed on the bridge, namely 15, 20,and 21, and there is no movement between the bridge reference areas andthe associated cassette base plate surfaces on which the reference areasclamp, when the forces of the leaf springs, namely 17 and 22, areapplied.

FIGS. 16-18 pertain to a manually operated mechanism 70 for unloading astranded cassette C from the recorder housing 1 in case the electricalsystem of the recorder does not work and the electric motors are notoperating. The manual eject mechanism 70 enables the operator tomanipulate rotation of the crank 31 to rotate the bridge 4 (shownschematically in FIG. 16) from its running position engaging thecassette C to its standby position back out of the way of the cassette'spath of movement out of the housing 1. The mechanism 70 also allows theoperator to manipulate the gear train which is connected to the gearrack 36 such that the gripper 37 is conducted outwardly in its unloadingstroke, ejecting the cassette outward through the slot 2 formed in therecorder housing for retrieval by the operator.

With reference to FIG. 16, the mechanism 70 includes an eject button 71which extends outwardly from the face of the recorder housing and whichis journaled at its inward end for pivotal movement about a verticalshaft 72. The button 71 is a laterally extending body having a rear sidefacing end A and a front side facing end B, on opposed sides of saidpivot shaft 72. The eject button 71 has two operational modes. It firstoperates as an electrical switch to restart the electric motors. In thismode, the operator pushes inward on side A of the eject button 71 toengage a restart button 73 positioned slightly inward from the ejectbutton within the recorder housing.

If activation of the restart button 73 fails to work the electricalsystem of the recorder, then the operator may further work the ejectbutton 71 in a manual cassette eject mode, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19.

The first step of the manual cassette eject mode is for the operator topush the side A of the eject button 71 further inward for rotation aboutthe pivot shaft 72, beyond the point where side A of the button is flushwith the housing wall and beyond the electrical switching position. Thismovement of the button 71 is shown in FIG. 18, and may be accomplishedwith a tool, such as a pen or pencil 74. Connected on the interiorfacing surface of the button 71, on side A of the button is an inwardlyextending ratchet arm 75, the free end of which is received between thegear teeth of a drive wheel 76 keyed for rotation on a shaft of the geartrain which forms the driving connection between the electric motor 30and the crank 31. The gear wheel 76 is in driving connection with afurther gear 77 keyed for rotation on the shaft which turns the crank31. Thus, as shown in FIG. 18, by repeatedly pushing side A of the ejectbutton 71 in this further inward fashion, the operator is able toratchet the gear wheel 76 by the action of the ratchet arm 75, causingthe crank 31 to undergo its clockwise rotational movement (as viewedfrom above, such as shown in FIG. 17) and thus, as described above,bring the tape drive bridge 4 back to its standby position.

With the tape drive bridge thus returned to its standby position andcleared away from the path of longitudinal movement of the cassette C inthe recorder housing, the operator then addresses side B of the ejectbutton 71 to cause the cassette to be unloaded from the recorderhousing. This is accomplished, as shown in FIG. 19, by the operatorpushing inward on side B of the eject button, such as with the tool 74,for rotation about the shaft 72. It will be noted that the ratchet arm75 is slightly deformed in its inward extension between the button 71and the teeth of the gear wheel 76, so that the ratchet arm 75 issufficiently resilient to merely become straightened during therotational movement of the button 71 commencing at side B and does notthen ratchet the gear wheel 76 in the opposite direction from thatdiscussed above with respect to the FIG. 17. However, the inward facingsurface of the eject button 71, at side B, is formed with an inwardlyelongated arm 78 having an interior free end for engaging against theteeth of a driving gear 79. Gear 79 is mounted for rotation on the topwall of the recorder housing, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 15. The gear 79 iskeyed for rotation about the same vertically extending shaft as thedriven wheel 35, which is part of the gear train leading to the gearrack 36, such that rotation of the gear 79 serves to bring aboutlongitudinal movement of the gear rack 36 and gripper 37.

With reference to FIGS. 15 and 17, the inwardly elongated arm 79 issupported and guided for generally linear longitudinal movement in therecorder housing by a guide bracket 80 formed on the interior of thefront side wall of the recorder housing. The elongated arm 78 is formedwith recessed or cut-away areas 81 and 82 adjacent the eject button andthe free end of the arm, respectively, and on opposite sides of theguide bracket 80 to provide bending joints along the extension of theelongated arm 78. Thus, an appropriate resilience is provided to theelongated arm 78 such that each portion thereof extending further inwardfrom each cut-away area 81 and 82 may bend relative to the next adjacentoutward portion of the arm 78. In operation, when side B of the ejectbutton is rotated inward by the operator, the elongated arm 78 isstroked inward, exerting force against a tooth of the gear 79 in adirection causing rotation of the gear train wheels leading to the gearrack 36, such that the gear rack 36 is driven in the unloading strokedirection, the gripper 37 engaging the inward end of the cassette.Further pumping of the eject button 71 at side B causes the elongatedarm 78 to move back and forth as shown in FIG. 17, which movementratchets the gear 79, thus ejecting the tape cassette C from therecorder housing.

Having described preferred embodiments of the tape cartridgemanipulation and reference system of the present invention for use inmagnetic tape recorder devices, it should be understood that variationsand modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly,we wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon, allsuch embodiments as reasonably and properly come within the scope of ourcontribution to the art.

We claim as our invention:
 1. In a magnetic tape recorder for receivingan endwise loaded rectangular tape cassette having a pair of opposedsides and a pair of opposed ends which are shorter than said sides, saidtape cassette enclosing a length of magnetic tape and having an openingin one of said sides proximate one of said ends for providing access tosaid length of tape, said magnetic tape recorder having a magnetic headfor reading/writing data on said magnetic tape when said magnetic headis in operative engagement with said magnetic tape, an electric motor,and a capstan drive train connectable with said electric motor foractivating a tape drive in said tape cassette to conduct said length ofmagnetic tape across said magnetic head, and further comprising:aunitary bridge carrying said magnetic head and said capstan drive train,and means for moving said bridge along three orthogonally spaced axesbetween a lowered standby position, where said bridge is spaced fromsaid tape cassette, and a raised running position, where said bridgeengages said tape cassette, connects said capstan drive train betweensaid electric motor and said tape drive, and operatively engages saidmagnetic head with said magnetic tape.
 2. The magnetic tape recorder ofclaim 1, wherein said bridge fixedly clamps onto said cassette at threediscrete reference areas formed on said bridge, when said bridge is inits running position.
 3. The magnetic recorder of claims 1 or 2, whereinan electric motor-driven crank is connected to said bridge to move saidbridge between its standby position and its running position, and thepath of said movement of said bridge is controlled by at least onepin-and-groove connection.
 4. The magnetic recorder of claim 2, whereinsaid bridge is generally of a U-shape, said reference areas beingdisposed on the legs of said U-shaped bridge and said magnetic head andsaid capstan drive train being disposed on the base of said U-shapedbridge.
 5. The magnetic recorder of claims 2 or 4, wherein only onereference area clamps onto said cassette at one end of said cassette andonly two reference areas clamp onto said cassette at the other end ofsaid cassette.
 6. The magnetic recorder of claim 2, wherein springsunderlie said reference areas of said bridge, and said cassette isclamped between said reference areas and said springs when said bridgeis in its running position.
 7. The magnetic recorder of claim 5, whereinsprings underlie said reference areas of said bridge, and said cassetteis clamped between said reference areas and said springs when saidbridge is in its running position.
 8. The magnetic recorder of claim 1,further including a drive wheel mounted on said bridge for operativelyconnecting said electric motor with a means for automatically loadingand unloading said tape cassette in said magnetic recorder when saidbridge is in its standby position, said drive wheel being disconnectedfrom said electric motor when said bridge moves from its standbyposition to its running position.